Deuteronomy 16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 16
Feast of the Passover. 1 Observe the month of Abib[a] by keeping the Passover of the Lord, your God,(A) since it was in the month of Abib that the Lord, your God, brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 You shall offer the Passover sacrifice from your flock and your herd to the Lord, your God, in the place the Lord will choose as the dwelling place of his name.(B) 3 (C)You shall not eat leavened bread with it. For seven days you shall eat with it only unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, so that you may remember as long as you live the day you left the land of Egypt; for in hurried flight you left the land of Egypt. 4 No leaven is to be found with you in all your territory for seven days, and none of the meat which you sacrificed on the evening of the first day shall be kept overnight for the next day.
5 You may not sacrifice the Passover in any of the communities which the Lord, your God, gives you; 6 only at the place which the Lord, your God, will choose as the dwelling place of his name, and in the evening at sunset, at the very time when you left Egypt, shall you sacrifice the Passover.(D) 7 You shall cook and eat it at the place the Lord, your God, will choose; then in the morning you may return to your tents. 8 For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly for the Lord, your God; on that day you shall do no work.(E)
Feast of Weeks. 9 (F)You shall count off seven weeks; begin to count the seven weeks from the day when the sickle is first put to the standing grain. 10 You shall then keep the feast of Weeks[b] for the Lord, your God, and the measure of your own voluntary offering which you will give shall be in proportion to the blessing the Lord, your God, has given you. 11 You shall rejoice in the presence of the Lord, your God, together with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow among you, in the place which the Lord, your God, will choose as the dwelling place of his name.(G) 12 Remember that you too were slaves in Egypt, so carry out these statutes carefully.
Feast of Booths. 13 (H)You shall celebrate the feast of Booths[c] for seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and wine press. 14 You shall rejoice at your feast,(I) together with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, and also the Levite, the resident alien, the orphan and the widow within your gates. 15 For seven days you shall celebrate this feast for the Lord, your God, in the place which the Lord will choose; since the Lord, your God, has blessed you in all your crops and in all your undertakings, you will be full of joy.
16 Three times a year,(J) then, all your males shall appear before the Lord, your God, in the place which he will choose: at the feast of Unleavened Bread, at the feast of Weeks, and at the feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed, 17 but each with his own gift, in proportion to the blessing which the Lord, your God, has given to you.
Justice. 18 (K)In all the communities which the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall appoint judges and officials throughout your tribes to administer true justice for the people. 19 You must not distort justice: you shall not show partiality;(L) you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes even of the wise and twists the words even of the just. 20 Justice, justice alone shall you pursue, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord, your God, is giving you.
Illicit Worship. 21 (M)You shall not plant an asherah[d] of any kind of wood next to the altar of the Lord, your God, which you will build;(N) 22 nor shall you erect a sacred pillar, such as the Lord, your God, hates.
Footnotes
- 16:1 Abib: “ear of grain, ripe grain,” the name of the month in which the barley harvest fell, corresponding to our March and April; at a later period this month received the Babylonian name of “Nisan.”
- 16:10 Feast of Weeks: a celebration of the grain harvest, later known as “Pentecost”; cf. Acts 2:1.
- 16:13 Feast of Booths: also called Tabernacles; a harvest festival at the end of the agricultural year. In later times, during the seven days of the feast the Israelites camped in booths made of branches erected on the roofs of their houses or in the streets in commemoration of their wanderings in the wilderness, where they dwelt in such temporary shelters.
- 16:21–22 Asherah…sacred pillar: see note on 7:5; Ex 34:13.
Deuteronomy 16
Complete Jewish Bible
16 “Observe the month of Aviv, and keep Pesach to Adonai your God; for in the month of Aviv, Adonai your God brought you out of Egypt at night. 2 You are to sacrifice the Pesach offering from flock and herd to Adonai your God in the place where Adonai will choose to have his name live. 3 You are not to eat any hametz with it; for seven days you are to eat with it matzah, the bread of affliction; for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste. Thus you will remember the day you left the land of Egypt as long as you live. 4 No leaven is to be seen with you anywhere in your territory for seven days. None of the meat from your sacrifice on the first day in the evening is to remain all night until morning. 5 You may not sacrifice the Pesach offering in just any of the towns that Adonai your God is giving you; 6 but at the place where Adonai your God will choose to have his name live — there is where you are to sacrifice the Pesach offering, in the evening, when the sun sets, at the time of year that you came out of Egypt. 7 You are to roast it and eat it in the place Adonai your God will choose; in the morning you will return and go to your tents. 8 For six days you are to eat matzah; on the seventh day there is to be a festive assembly for Adonai your God; do not do any kind of work.
9 “You are to count seven weeks; you are to begin counting seven weeks from the time you first put your sickle to the standing grain. 10 You are to observe the festival of Shavu‘ot [weeks] for Adonai your God with a voluntary offering, which you are to give in accordance with the degree to which Adonai your God has prospered you. 11 You are to rejoice in the presence of Adonai your God — you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the L’vi’im living in your towns, and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you — in the place where Adonai your God will choose to have his name live. 12 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt; then you will keep and obey these laws.
(Maftir) 13 “You are to keep the festival of Sukkot for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing-floor and winepress. 14 Rejoice at your festival — you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the L’vi’im, and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you. 15 Seven days you are to keep the festival for Adonai your God in the place Adonai your God will choose, because Adonai your God will bless you in all your crops and in all your work, so you are to be full of joy!
16 “Three times a year all your men are to appear in the presence of Adonai your God in the place which he will choose — at the festival of matzah, at the festival of Shavu‘ot and at the festival of Sukkot. They are not to show up before Adonai empty-handed, 17 but every man is to give what he can, in accordance with the blessing Adonai your God has given you.
Haftarah Re’eh: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 54:11–55:5
B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Re’eh: 1 Corinthians 5:9–13; 1 Yochanan (1 John) 4:1–6
Parashah 48: Shof’tim (Judges) 16:18–21:9
18 “You are to appoint judges and officers for all your gates [in the cities] Adonai your God is giving you, tribe by tribe; and they are to judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You are not to distort justice or show favoritism, and you are not to accept a bribe, for a gift blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of even the upright. 20 Justice, only justice, you must pursue; so that you will live and inherit the land Adonai your God is giving you.
21 “You are not to plant any sort of tree as a sacred pole beside the altar of Adonai your God that you will make for yourselves. 22 Likewise, do not set up a standing-stone; Adonai your God hates such things.
申命記 16
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
逾越節
16 「你們要在亞筆月[a]為你們的上帝耶和華守逾越節，因為祂在這個月的一個晚上帶領你們離開了埃及。 2 你們要在你們的上帝耶和華選定的敬拜場所，把牛羊作為逾越節的祭牲獻給祂。 3 吃祭牲的時候，不可吃有酵的餅，七天之內要吃無酵餅，即憶苦餅，以便你們一生謹記離開埃及的日子，因為當時你們離開得很倉促。 4 那七天之內，你們境內不可有酵母。第一天傍晚獻的祭肉不可留到第二天早晨。 5 在你們的上帝耶和華將要賜給你們的各城中，你們不可隨便獻逾越節的祭牲， 6 而是要在傍晚日落時分，即你們離開埃及的時候，到你們的上帝耶和華選定的敬拜場所獻逾越節的祭牲。 7 你們要在那裡煮祭肉吃，第二天早晨可以返回自己的帳篷。 8 在隨後的六天之內，你們要吃無酵餅。第七天，要舉行莊嚴的聚會，敬拜你們的上帝耶和華。那一天你們不可做工。
七七收穫節
9 「從收割那天開始算起，你們要算出七週的時間。 10 七週後，要為你們的上帝耶和華守七七收穫節[b]。那時，你們要按照你們的上帝耶和華所賜的福分，甘心樂意地獻上祭物。 11 你們要和兒女、僕婢、同城的利未人、寄居者及孤兒寡婦在你們的上帝耶和華選定的敬拜場所，在祂面前一起歡喜快樂。 12 你們要記住自己曾在埃及做過奴隸，因此要謹遵這些律例。
住棚節
13 「在收藏好穀物和新酒後，你們要守七天的住棚節。 14 住棚節期間，你們要和兒女、僕婢、同城的利未人、寄居者及孤兒寡婦一起歡慶。 15 要在你們的上帝耶和華選定的地方，為祂守住棚節七天；要滿心歡喜，因為你們的上帝耶和華賜福你們，使你們的出產豐富、凡事順利。
16 「你們所有男子要每年三次，即在無酵節、七七收穫節和住棚節，在你們的上帝耶和華指定的地方朝見祂。你們不可空手朝見， 17 各人要按祂賜的福分，盡自己的能力獻上禮物。
委任審判官
18 「要在你們的上帝耶和華將要賜給你們的各城中，按支派委任審判官及其他官員。官員們要秉公審判， 19 不可徇私枉法、偏心待人，收受賄賂，因為賄賂能蒙蔽智者的眼睛，使正直人顛倒是非。 20 你們要追求公正公義，以便可以存活，承受你們的上帝耶和華將要賜給你們的土地。
不可拜偶像
21 「在為你們的上帝耶和華建造的祭壇旁，你們不可豎立亞舍拉木神像， 22 也不可豎立神柱，因為這些是你們的上帝耶和華所憎惡的。
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.